The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Gazania rigens leucolaena, the novel characteristics of which reside particularly in the color patterns of the ray flowers and disk flowers and the semi-trailing growth pattern.
The new Gazania was first discovered by me in 1986. It originated as a mutant from a hybrid of Gazania known as "Orange Trailing", in a cultivated garden in Brea, Calif. Thereafter the new variety was successfully asexually reproduced by myself by rooting cuttings. Such asexual reproduction resulted in numerous progeny plants which have continually displayed the flower color and growth pattern typical of that found on the parent mutant.
An interesting characteristic of the new variety is the yellow, daisy-like flower approximately two inches in diameter. The flower is comprised of lemon chrome, plate IV, hue 21, on Ridgeway's color plates (hereinafter "R") ray flowers with a black oval spot at the base of each petal, which oval contains a small white rectangularly-shaped dot near the top of the oval, and lemon chrome, plate IV, hue 21 (R), disk flowers at the center of the inflorescence. Another interesting characteristic is the semi-trailing growth pattern of this plant which spreads by trailing stems but remains fairly dense in its coverage of the ground.
The new variety, as compared with the "Orange Trailing" hybrid of Gazania rigens leucolaena, is characterized by its bright yellow flower, compared to the orange flower of the known variety, and by its semi-trailing growth pattern, compared to the extended trailing growth pattern of the known variety. The known variety and the new variety each possess the characteristic black oval spot at the base of each petal, which oval contains a small, white, rectangularly-shaped dot.